What makes smoking legal?

Question

I live in Canada and smoking is legal which is a huge problem in my opinion. I understand that there are unimaginable sums of money made from sin taxes, but why should non-smokers be exposed to toxic chemicals from cigarettes (polonium & radium (radioactve!), lead, benzopyrene and nitrosamine). Hasn't the government realized that we all share the same air, and that polluting it makes a toxic environment for everybody? Second hand smoke is nearly as dangerous as first hand and chemicals travel and can cause such deadly diseases as lung cancer, which has a mortality rate of 88% in Canada! I know that if smoking were banned it would become a part of the black market- but isn't it possible that some people will get the picture and finally stop smoking! This is driving me crazy-smoking is addictive, and lots of people who smoke can't kick the habit, but why can't the government do something about. Why should I have to sacrifice my quality of air for tax money made from cigarettes?

Okay..about that answer....most people drive a combustion car..including smokers...combustion cars are another thing that I disagree with....I think that electric or at least hybrids are the way to go....if they would become more affordable and if more technology was available. Plus it's not as if every person who smokes drives an electric car...that's twice the pollution. Furthermore, I mentioned that smoking is addictive and hard to kick and that two wrongs don't make a right:|

Okay don't get me wrong...I'm not trying to preach... I know that there isn't much that I can do about this issue, but in your opinion, what justifies the legality of cigarettes or heck, while your at it, why not incomplete combustion/ combustion of hydrocarbons as well. Or at least, why are manufacturers allowed to add so many terrible chemicals to their products...I have heard tales of people who used to smoke pure tobacco smokes and lived up to and over 100 (not that I'm questioning the life expectancy of a non-smoker vs. a smoker). Gosh, I'm really trying to be diplomatic but I guess it's probably not coming out that well:)

Answer 1

There is a thing called rights. We, as a society have certain rights. You have them as a non-smoker, and I have them as a smoker. Where do yours end and mine start.

There has been a huge change in the way this has been addressed. Because people are more health conscious and more aware then we used to be, there are more non-smoking areas than smoking.

I agree with you that it is a bad habit, but we all have those, no matter how good we think we are. We still allow alcohol to be legal? Even though there are so many deaths each year that a in direct relation to it. Why is that. I don't drink, but it is not my business to preach to the people that do, that would be infringing on their rights. It is a bad habit that can have major consequences, but that is the choice that people make.

Answer 2

Because, like alcohol, in the US the FDA wasn't around to keep these substances off the market. When FDA laws were made they only regulated how food was prosseced. technically, if alcohol and cigarettes were to be pushed on the market today as a new product it would be illegal. Plus, companies now have a lot of clout in congress... Big Tobacco is a big lobbyist for the US government... sad. personally I think if you make the choice to smoke you get what comes to yea.

Answer 3

What makes smoking legal? Simply, there is no law making smoking illegal. The presumption is everything is legal, except when such contrary to law. There being no law saing it is illegal, then it follows as a consequence that smoking is perfectly legal. As one has pointed out, the Government collects sin taxes from tobacco products, it then follows as a logical consequence, that smoking or use of these products is generally legal. Of course, there are places where you cannot smoke freely, e.g. hospitals, fire prone areas, etc, but smoking in itself, is not illegal. It may be immoral for many, but as we all know, not all immoral things or activities are illegal, in the same manner that not all that are legal are necessarily moral.

Answer 4

sorry sweety but im w the smokers to a point.

I believe smoking outside is fine and businesses should be aloud to choose whether they are non smoking places or not. if you don't want second hand smoke then go to a non-smoking restaurant or bar.

pot is illegal and look at how much still goes around. USA made alcohol illegal for a while bc of drunks that beat their wives and such... now they could even say bc of drunk drivers, but we all know how that turned out.

Answer 5

Smoking has been a common practice since probably the 1700's . Now things change over the centuries. Smoking has just been as common as having a soda pop for a great tasting thing. But compare smoking now a days to the '70's alot has changed.

Answer 6

why should smokers have to sacrifice their rights because you don't want to avoid them?
you have to see the other point of view. of course, in a perfect world they would all quit voluntarily. we don't live in a perfect world, so the smokers aren't going to quit. i'm sure that if the managed to get the pessage accross to people before they started smoking, and got addictre, then we could just wait for all the smokers to die of lung cancer.
or we could just kill 'em...
hah of course we wouldn't do that. it would be too expensive to kill all of the smokers, and also expensive to get every single person to boycott smoking. the cigarette industries would go bankrupt, which would ruin the economy.
of course, i agree with you, i have have to see the other side of the story.

Answer 7

I agree with you. It should be illegal.If the government would make it illegal people would stop smoking.They are making too much money off the taxes and medication for lung cancer and breathing problems.cigarettes have no medicinal purpose whatsoever.there is nothing good about tobacco at all.I can't figure it out either.

Answer 8

What makes it legal?

Voters. Until enough voters elect representatives who will outlaw something that kills thousands annually, there will be legalized smoking.

The problem is that not enough voters care about this issue. They feel it is not a major issue, or it is not their place to dictate what others can or cannot do.

Until this becomes a bigger problem, like when the ozone layer is so thin it starts to give everyone skin cancer, nothing much will change.

Answer 9

If you are concerned about toxic chemicals, you should stop using the following:
Plastics (this includes your computer)
Dry cleaning facilities
Automobiles
Paint and Paint Stripper
Rubber
Dyes
Pharmaceuticals
Pesticide
and the list goes on....
While your at it, tell volcanoes to stop erupting, because they release toxic chemicals into the air as well.

Answer 10

Basically, the money the tobacco companies give to the politicians, economy and the jobs they provide. As long as they have the money they do, what they make will always be legal.